Theme
ICMC 2021 invites researchers to explore the following themes:
- Utilitarian Objects: Objects which played significant roles in rural or urban Asian or Southeast Asian communities in daily life as they were repeatedly used (tools for specific crafts or for the home such as kitchen utensils, objects used for hygiene or beauty etc.)
- Moving Objects: Everyday life objects used when travelling during a period of time; objects travelling from one place to another over time, brought in another country as markers of identity (e.g., diasporas, migrations or emigrations), or by merchants (e.g.: marketplaces and retailing) in Asia or Southeast Asia through the ages
- Playful Objects: Objects designed to entertain children or families in daily life; for hobbies, pastimes and leisure time (toys, puppets, masks, props and costumes; objects used in festivals etc.)
- Objects Through Time(s): Ceremonial, symbolic or ritualistic objects which passed from one generation to another; vintage objects; personal objects which gain sentimental value, or which were linked to the construction of identity and/or gender over time; timeless objects; ageing objects; recycled and second-hand objects
Note that we welcome contributions that have an “history from below” perspective and/or pay particular attention to the lower classes, the world of tradesmen and their shops, the workshop/craft space but also the home and private spaces.
